NewsRelease

UNCG Music Faculty Performs “A Night at the Opera”
Artist Faculty Chamber Series Expands to Six Concerts
 
GREENSBORO – On Thursday, Sept. 25, the faculty of the UNCG School of Music will present witty and whimsical highlights of opera literature at 7:30 p.m. in the School of Music Recital Hall, corner of West Market and McIver streets. Commentary will be provided by Russ McDonald, professor of English at UNCG.

The program will include selections and borrowings from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” (Beethoven), “The Marriage of Figaro” (Mozart), “The Barber of Seville” (Rossini), “Tristan” (Bergsma), “The Pearl Fishers” (Bizet) and “La Traviata” (Ponchielli).

Selections from “The Marriage of Figaro” and “The Pearl Fishers” will be taken directly from the original operatic works and performed by sopranos Ellen Linton and Nancy Walker, baritone Robert Wells and new faculty tenor Robert Bracey.

Bracey served on the voice faculty at Michigan State University and as chair of the voice area before coming to UNCG this fall. He was awarded first prize in the 2002 Oratorio Society of New York’s 26th Annual International Solo Competition at Carnegie Hall, besting a collection of 187 singers. His Carnegie Hall debut came in December 2002 in a performance of Handel’s “Messiah.”

Accompanying the singers on piano will be Andrew Harley. Additional faculty, who will play instrumental transcriptions of operatic works, will include Brooks Whitehouse (violoncello), Edward Bach (trumpet), Jack Masarie (horn) Randy Kohlenberg (trombone), Dennis AsKew (tuba), Scott Rawls (viola), Deborah Egekvist (flute), Mary Ashley Barret (oboe), Kelly Burke (clarinet) and Joseph Di Piazza (piano).

The Artist Faculty Chamber Series, already the most widely attended concerts at the School of Music, will reach even more concert-goers this year with the expansion of its program from four to six concerts. The additional concerts, bringing in notable national performers, have been added in cooperation with Music for a Great Space.

The first collaborative event will be a Sept. 12 jazz concert with UNCG faculty John Salmon (piano) and Mark Mazzatenta (guitar). Also performing are Craig Whittaker (saxophone), and brothers Chris Brubeck (electric bass) and Dan Brubeck (percussion). Chris and Dan are sons of jazz great Dave Brubeck, best known for his composition “Take Five.” The concert will begin at 8 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church, Holden Road. On Oct. 19 at 8 p.m., Trio con Brio, a faculty ensemble from Florida State University, will perform in the second jointly sponsored concert, to be held in the School of Music Recital Hall.

Future concerts will also include “From Russia with Love” (Oct. 30), “Time” (Jan. 29) and “Czech, Please” (March 18). These concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the School of Music Recital Hall.

For the first time, season series tickets are available for $40. Individual tickets may be purchased at the door. For more information about the jazz concert or Trio con Brio, call the School of Music at 334-5789. For the remaining AFCS concerts, call the university box office at (336) 334-4849.

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